7, 8-dimethyl tocol and process for the preparation of the same



'pound,7,8-dimethylto Patented Dec. 3, 1946 .THE-PREBARATIONOF THE'SAME- "Paul? 'r i ich, and cm Isler, Basel,

'The'present invention relates to a novel'comcolo'f the formula;

110m 8 .1130 cf CH3 i I v and'a process for produ'cingthetsame'; j This application is a continuation-'in -part'of -our earlierapplication serial No.f231 *,8 l6 filed September-'26, 1938. v l 1 g :Evans and collaborators (Memp-Univi Califor nia; vol. 8. year 1927) {discovered that a nutritive factor which-is indispensable for spermatoge'nesis i Switzerland, assignors to HoffmanmLaRoche; "I 1" Inc.',"l\Tutiey, N. ;J.','a corporationofNe Jersey: 1

' Now-Drawing Application Augiistfi, -1 f1" Serial 80.406556, [T ri Switzerland March$1,- 1 93 flio' oiaims. (c1.'260 -333)'- in male rats andthe successful completion of an existing pregnancy in female rats is contained in wheat germ oil'andvariousfoodstuffsf' 'They named the new biological factor'vitaminE-{and described a biological method of g determination using female'r ats. 'EvansiEmerson arid-Emerson (J. Biol. Chem., vol. 113, year 1936. page 319, and vol. 'l22,' year 1937, page 99) succeeded in isolating three distinct che'micalsub'stances from wheat germ oil and various 'other vegetable 'oils which are responsible for the vitamin E action of the starting materials. These closely related compounds were named 11-, 18-,"and Y-tocopherols. Investigations by Fernholz (J Amer. Chem. Soc., vol. 59. year 1937, page 1154;vvol. 60, year 1938, page 700), Karrer and collaborators (I-Ielvetica Chimica Acta, vol. 20, year 1937, page 1422; vol.

21, ear 1938, page3Q9) BergelT odd-arid comes: I

orators (Biochem. J., v01. 31', year 1937, page 2257; J. Chem. Soc; year 1938,'page 253) ,7 as well as John and collaborators (Zeitschrift fiir physiologische Chemie, vol. 250, year 1937. page 11; vol. 252. year 1938, pages 201, 208), confirm and, supplement the knowledge of the first-named investigators regarding tocopherols.

Natural a-tocopherol was 'characterized' by the empirical formula 0291-15002, by an allophanate melting at 158 C., by a p-n'itrophenylurethane melting at 131 C., and a sublimate of durohydroquinone on thermaldecomposition. 8-Toc0pher0l possesses the impirical formula C'zeHnaOz,yields an allophanate melting at 143144 C. and a sublimate of trimethylhydroquinoneonthermal de composition. An allophenate melting at-135 C. was produced from Y-tocopherol which has the empirical formula C2aH4sO2. v

- 'sorption column; then a yellow ring,j

2,3 dimethylhydroquinone with. ph'ytoly 'isophytol','for 'phytyl halidejs; under 'acid" conditions and preferably in th'prsence'bf acidicbndens'ing agents; The reaction may, for examplegbe'f -carried 'out'fin thepresence of: anhydrous zinc chloride, formic 1 acid or while? passing gaseous hydrogen chloride through; the reactioni mixture-.i lt has also been found particularly suitable 'to'zemploy a combination of zinc chloride and hydrogen chloride. p p

The new compound is a light yellow, slightly viscous oil, the allophanate of which melts at 146 C. In the'cold, the new "compound gradually reduces alcoholic silver nitrate solution; on heating the reduction proceeds rapidly. The compound dissolves in concentrated sulfuric acid with a yellow :color, and I the solution *fluoresces: intensivel afteri a few hoursexposurej-to; ultraviolet light. They 'solution'of' thev compound in chloroform yields a'dark. brown-coloration Von the-addition of ,tetranitromethane; ,Which gradually clears up. I

The new compound'ls'int'ended to be used as a pharmaceutical :preparationE-o'r as a startingi material "for I the' -manufacture-r lof pharmaceutical preparations.

"6.5 parts'b'y' weight of phytyl bromide or the row; brownish layer the upper part of th and, o t e fs ia ne y 'cc1dr'1es jzQn yi me the brcwnishjlayer 'ithdajmixture ofether and methanol, the expected condensation productlof the following mulai's obtained.

'lltis a yilscousbi which-has a strong reducin 'oxide column.

lated as in the previous examplesa per cent active hydrogen). -When tested on rats.

which had been kept on a Vitamin El-Iree diet, the compound proved fully active in a dose of 10 mg.

Example 2 4 parts by weight of phytol', 2.5 parts :by'weight of 2,3-dimethylhydroquinone,' 1 part by weight of anhydrous zinc chloride are heated to 180 C. for one-half hour with stirring and-introducingcarbon dioxide into the melt. The latter becomes homogeneous. After cooling, the product is treated with ether and water, the ether solution separated; washed with potassium 1hydroxlde1-solution, th'enwith water, and dried with sodium sulfate solution. The ether is removed and the residue taken up in .low boiling "petroleum ether and a chromatogram prepared on an aluminium The developed chromatogram shows a narrow, brownish layerin the upper part of the absorption column and thena yellow ring and a principal zone that is nearly colorless. The eluateof the brownish layera corresponds to the formula:

It a viscous oil possessing one active hydrogen atom-as shown by the fact that when submitted I Eramplell [1.5 parts by weight of '2,3-dimethylhydroquinone, 3 parts by weight of'isophytol of the formula are heated in 10 parts of anhydrous formicacid for six hours. The mixture is diluted with water, extracted with ether, the ether layer washed with sodium hydroxide solution, then with water, and dried over sodium'sulfate and the .solvent removed. The residue is taken up with low boiling petroleum ether, is chromatogramed in the. man,- ner of the previous example to obtain the same product. I i V V Example 4 4 parts by weight of phytol, 2.5 parts by weight of 2,3-dimethylhydroquinone and 1 part by weight of zinc chloride are suspended in 10 parts by weight of decalin and heated to 150 C. and the temperature is maintained while'passing carbon dioxide through the suspension. The solution becomes yellowish brown, the product is cooled, water and ether added'while stillstirring, and the ether solution separated ofli This solution is washed with water, potassium carbonate solution and hydrochloric acid successively, then again with water, separated from the aqueous layer, dried with sodium sulfate and the ether removed. The residue is then taken .up in low boiling .petroleum ether and a chromatogram made as described in previous examples and the product iso- Example 5 4 parts by weight of 2,3-dimethylhydroquinone are suspended in 50 parts by Weight of petroleum ether, boiling point 80 0., and 3 parts by weight I of anhydrous zinc chloride and parts by weight of a phytylhalide prepared by the addition of hydrogen bromide to phytyl bromide, are added, and the reaction product heated in the current of nitrogen for four hours in an oil bath maintained at 140 C. Hydrogen bromide is evolved and finally, when .thishas ceased, the product is treated with water, much petroleum ether is added,

and the benzine layer thoroughly washed with Claisens solution, then with water, dried and adsorbed on an aluminiumoxide columnandeluted in the manner described in the previous-examples. The product so obtained is identical with the dimethyl-tocol previously obtained Example 6 1 part by weight of zinc chloride, 5 parts by weight of isophytol and 2.5 parts by weight of 2,3- dimethylhydroquinone are dissolved in 20 parts by volume of ether and 20 parts by volume of benzol added, the mixture being warmed to a temperature of 5060 C. A rapid stream of dry hydrogen chloride is passed through the solution which is heated and stirred under reflux for 4 hours until hydrogen chloride is evolved at the top of the condenser. The cooled solution is poured into water, the ether-benzol layer washed with hydrochloric acid, 10 per cent sodium-hydroxide, and finally several times with water containing sodium chloride to facilitate separation. After drying with sodium sulfate the solvents are removedand the residue is distilled in high vacuo.

We claim:

1. In a process for the manufacture of a tocophero1 product, the steps of producing a tocopherol of the formula by condensing 2,3-dimethylhydroquin0ne with an aliphatic di-terpene derivative of the formula.

cm oH-(Cth)Hie'- 0Hi ier wmhii on; (3113 CH3 I wherein R represents one of the following radicals: I v a -C=CH-CHZOH CHa1CHr-CHzHal Ha H: I I I 2 --C=CHCHzHa1 0H H3 1CH=CHg under acid conditions, and recovering a tocopherol product from the reaction mixture thus obtained.

2. In a process for vthe'manufacture of a tocopherol product, the steps of producing a tocopherol of the formula r CH1 30W l CH? 'oonmcn(omiaomormloncm 0 CH3 CH; OH; on; CH; M-

by condensing 2,3-dimethy1hydroquinone with an aliphatic di-terpene derivative of the formula wherein R represents one of the following radicals:

-C=CHCH2OH Cl7HalC Hr-CHaHal in the presence of zinc chloride, and recovering a tocopherol product from the reaction mixture thus obtained.

3. In a process for the manufacture of a tocopherol product, the steps of producing gamma tocopherol of the formula:

on, E0 CH2 CH3 K J(oH2)g( JH(oHz)acmomnonom 0 CH3 CH3 CH3 CH3 which comprises condensing 2,3dimethylhydro quinone with a phytylhalide under acid conditions, and recovering a tocopherol product from the reaction mixture thus obtained.

4. Iri a process for the manufacture of a tocopherol product, the steps of producing gamma tocopherol of the formula which comprises condensing 2,3-dimethylhydroquinone with phytyl bromide of the formula under acid conditions, and recovering a tocopherol product from the reaction mixture thus obtained.

5. In a process for the manufacture of a tocopherol product, the steps of producing gamma tocopherol of the formula CH3 which comprises condensing 2,3-dimethyl hydroquinone with phytol under acid conditions, and recovering a tocopherol product from the reaction mixture thus obtained.

6. In a process for the manufacture of a tocopherol product, the steps of producing gamma tocopherol of the formula which comprises condensing, 2,3-dimethyl hydroquinone with phytol in the presence of zinc chloride, and recovering a tocopherol product from the reaction mixture thus obtained.

7. In a process for the manufacture of a tocopherol product, the steps of producing a tocopherol of the formula HO CH2 2)s H2)a 2)s? a 0 CH3 CH3 CH3 CH3 which comprises condensing 2*,3-dimethyl hydroquinone with isophytol under acid conditions,

and recovering a tocopherol product from the reaction mixture thus obtained.

8. In a process for. the manufacture of a tocopherol product, the steps of producing a tocopherol of the formula CH2 /\H/ E CH3 C(CH)@CH(OHz) CH(OH2)aCHCHa 0 CH3 CH3 -CH3 CH3 which comprises condensing 2,3-dimethyl hydroquinone with isophytol in the presence of zinc chloride, and recovering a tocopherol product from the reaction mixture thus obtained.

9. A completely racemic synthetic gamma tocopherol of the formula 0 CH3 CH3 CH3 CH3 CH3 10. A synthetic gamma tocopherol which is racemic at the carbon atom in position 2 of the 7 chromane ring and of the formula:

yo 0H3' om CH3 CH3 PAUL KARRER. O'T'I'O' ISLER. 

